Many devices, specifically devices that are intended to be inserted in-vivo, may need to maintain a small volume so as to enable free passage through in-vivo ducts. Many in-vivo devices, such as in-vivo endoscopy capsules, contain electronic and electrical components, e.g., image sensors, illumination sources, transmitters, antennas, etc. Typically, such components are supported by and are electrically connected to a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB on which electronic components are mounted is typically a rigid printed circuit board. In-vivo endoscopy capsules normally comprise numerous electronic components, such that the electronic components are divided between at least two rigid portions. Such rigid portions are typically connected by a flexible portion, i.e., the PCB used in in-vivo devices is a “rigid-flex” PCB.
The rigid-flex PCB is inserted into a device with a predetermined low volume that is compatible with the known size and diameter of in-vivo lumens and ducts into which it is inserted. For example, a swallowable capsule should maintain a low volume compatible with the smallest diameter of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such that the capsule can freely pass through the GI tract. In order for the device to maintain a low volume, the rigid-flex PCB needs to be kept within the device in a compact configuration.
During assembly, all the electronic and electrical components are mounted on the rigid-flex PCB prior to the PCB being folded into a compact configuration. Rigid-flex PCBs which are intended to be inserted in endoscopy capsules according to embodiments of the present invention may be similar to embodiments described in International Patent Application Number PCT/IL2005/001380, entitled “In-Vivo Sensing Device With A Circuit Board Having Rigid Sections And Flexible Sections”, filed on Dec. 27, 2005, published on Jul. 6, 2006 as International Patent Application Publication Number WO 2006/070360 and/or in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/481,126, entitled “In-Vivo Sensing Device With A Circuit Board Having Rigid Sections And Flexible Sections”, filed on Dec. 18, 2003, published on Sep. 2, 2004 as United States Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0171914, which describes a rigid-flex PCB that is folded and held in its folded configuration through mini-springs or spacers between one rigid portion and another. In this embodiment, the springs/spacers may hold the PCB in its folded configuration by gluing the ends of the rigid portions of the PCB to the ends of the springs/spacers, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
However, glue may be difficult to use during assembly, and glue may drip and/or may spread to areas where it is not needed, as well as reach areas where it may cause damage, e.g., cause a cut-off between electrical components on the PCB. During mass production, especially during production of devices of a small scale, e.g., swallowable endoscopy capsules, the use of glue complicates the assembly process, since it is difficult to control the amount of glue used and its polymerization.
There is, therefore, a need for a more simple way of assembly and folding of a rigid-flex PCB into an in-vivo device, while maintaining it in its folded position.
Furthermore, in an event of a short circuit in one of the electrical circuits in an in-vivo device, the batteries inside may over-heat. In order to prevent over-heating of the in-vivo device's housing which may lead to undesirable heating of tissue surrounding the device, there is a need for a mechanism that may distant the batteries from the in-vivo device's housing.